


what now i desire above all in my mad heart

by Kriseis



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, M/M, drabbles in the same universe, i have a couple of these done out of a planned six so i'm starting to post, title from sappho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kriseis/pseuds/Kriseis
Summary: Ever since Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter rediscovered one another, things have been... different.Okay, obviously they’re different, but that’s not what he means. He doesn’t mean the IM conferences or the awkward visits. He doesn’t mean the sudden influx of new recruits into the Hunters of Artemis, or all the older campers talking about studying in New Rome, or even that time the two camps nearly went to war with one another (thanks, Gaea).No, what’s different for Alex is this:The centurion of the Legion’s first cohort is a demigod by the name of Henry. Alex hates him, maybe, he thinks. He certainly seems to hate Alex.In which Alex is a Greek demigod, Henry is a Roman demigod, and things are still complicated.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: RWRB Spring Fling Exchange





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sleep_deprived_writer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleep_deprived_writer/gifts).



> This is a gift for Zoe on the RWRB Discord server
> 
> You shouldn't need any knowledge of Percy Jackson in order to understand this! You may miss a few references, but they're not necessary to understand.
> 
> The basics:  
> -Camp Half-Blood is for Greek demigods  
> -Camp Jupiter is for Romans  
> -Until recently, they didn't know of one another's existence  
> -The primordial goddess Gaea/Gaia tried to orchestrate a conflict between them, and came very very close to succeeding.

Ever since Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter rediscovered one another, things have been... different.

Okay, obviously they’re  _ different _ , but that’s not what he means. He doesn’t mean the IM conferences or the awkward visits. He doesn’t mean the sudden influx of new recruits into the Hunters of Artemis, or all the older campers talking about studying in New Rome, or even that time the two camps nearly went to war with one another (thanks, Gaea).

No, what’s different for Alex is this:

The centurion of the Legion’s first cohort is a demigod by the name of Henry. Alex hates him, maybe, he thinks. He certainly seems to hate Alex.

Henry is the grandson of Venus (the Roman Aphrodite) and of Jupiter (AKA Zeus). This is apparently what the Romans call being a ‘legacy’, which in Alex’s opinion sounds pretentious and unnecessary. He’s the grandson of Athena and Ares, but he doesn’t go around telling people he’s a  _ legacy _ , now, does he?

(Actually, that... might actually be a little more convenient. Still, the point stands! He thinks.)

He meets Henry the first time he goes to New Rome. He and June are visiting their father in California, and June thought it would be fun to travel up to the Bay Area and see Camp Jupiter before heading off to Half-Blood Hill for the summer. Alex has no objections, so they meet up with Nora in Oakland and then set off, following the instructions they were given.

The boy standing guard at the boundary is armored in the Roman style, and he’s, uh,  _ gorgeous _ . The Roman style of armor suits him magnificently, and his blond hair doesn’t seem to have a strand out of place despite the day’s heat, not to mention the fact that it must be tiring patrolling the border all day. By all rights he should be mussed and sweaty, and yet there he stands, flawless. It’s unfair. The guy would be just about perfect if he weren’t brandishing a sword at them.

“Who goes there?” asks the beautiful boy (turns out he has a British accent, how is  _ that  _ fair), and June steps forward, hands half-raised.

“We’re Greek demigods,” she says, offering her Camp Half-Blood beaded necklace in evidence as instructed. “I’m June Claremont-Diaz. This is my brother Alex and our friend Nora Holleran.”

When he hears that they’re Greeks, the boy’s already stern face grows, bizarrely, more hostile. Like, Alex gets that they almost went to war that one time, but it was almost a year ago now, and they’re officially allies - there’s literally a standing invitation out to visit one another’s camps like this. Still, the guy sheathes his sword and says, very stiffly, “Henry Fox, centurion of the first cohort. You can go in.” He gives them directions, then returns immediately to his patrol, apparently ignoring the fact that they’re still standing there.

“Rude,” whispers Nora, but they proceed inward towards the camp.

(Alex sees Henry twice more throughout the duration of the visit. Both times he tries to engage him in conversation. Both times, Henry completely ignores him and walks away.

Well then. Be that way.)


	2. ii

A month into the summer, the twelfth legion comes to visit.

Okay, not  _ all _ of them, but enough that it puts Alex on edge. Really, does no one else remember this exact group of people marching on Half-Blood Hill with hostile intent literally last year?

That’s not fair, Alex acknowledges. That wasn’t _ really _ the fault of Camp Jupiter, just Gaea. And that little shit Octavian. He actually likes quite a few of the Romans - the praetors are both extremely cool, and he even befriended a son of Apollo named Pez, who took over as augur after the aforementioned little shit got himself killed. Still... was it really the best idea to invite this many, so soon?

Or maybe he’s just mad that they brought Henry. Really, the guy is the least diplomatic member of the legion, in Alex’s experience. Does he  _ really  _ have to be here? The whole point of the visit is diplomacy, after all. Camp leaders decided it would be a good idea to try to foster better relationships between the camps.

Part of that, apparently, is a rousing game of Capture-the-Flag. Alex usually  _ loves _ Capture-the-Flag days, and he’s great at it. But instead of Camp Half-Blood versus Camp Jupiter, it’s been decided that the teams will be blended.

This is how Alex gets stuck guarding the blue team’s flag with Henry Fox.

It’s kind of weird - for a guy who blatantly and intentionally ignored him,  _ repeatedly _ , on their last meeting, Henry is strangely friendly. He keeps trying to make conversation. It’s stilted and awkward, but it’s there. Alex resolutely ignores him. (He tells himself it’s because he’s concentrating on guard duty, but there’s definitely at least a part of him that is pettily delighted at the situation. Turnabout, and all that.)

That is, he ignores him until he makes a comment about Alex’s weapon.

“That’s a javelin, correct? Is that your only weapon? It’s just, there’s not a lot to do once you’ve thrown in, is there?”

Alex’s celestial bronze javelin was a gift from his father, who in turn received it from  _ his _ father, Ares, god of war. He’s very, very proud of it.

He removes his weapon from where it is bound to his back and hurls it with all his strength towards a tree across the clearing. It buries itself firmly in the trunk. Alex glances over to make sure Henry is watching, then holds out his open hand.

The javelin immediately flies back into it.

Henry looks suitably impressed. “Spectacular,” he says, and oh. Oh  _ no. _ That smile is  _ way  _ too pretty to be fair.

Alex coughs awkwardly and says, “It’s not my only weapon, either.” He shows him one of the knives hidden in his cowboy boots, but freezes when he hears a rustling in the trees behind him.

It’s an Apollo camper with one of the Romans. They’ve come for the flag.

The fight that follows is something of a blur. He only remembers fragments:

Knocking the Roman’s shield from her hand with a well-placed throw of his javelin.

Drawing his boot daggers, because the javelin is unfortunately not very well-suited to non-lethal combat.

Grappling in the dirt to recover the flag.

But infuriatingly, mostly what he remembers is Henry. Henry’s battle cry resounding through the clearing, deeper than his usual voice. Henry getting knocked down and rolling elegantly back to his feet. Henry blocking a blow meant for Alex.

As they stand guard over their defeated opponents, they glance at each other, still panting. Henry shoots him small but genuine smile.

Alex realizes that he’s smiling back.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come join us on Discord!](https://discord.gg/xm8zzPF)


End file.
